Windows 10 -> 11. Caused performance issues. Increased RAM and CPU usage.

Question

System Specs

CPU - 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-11400F @ 2.60GHz, 2592 Mhz, 6 Core(s), 12 Logical Processor(s)

GPU - NVIDIA RTX 3060

RAM - 16GB 3600MHz

Motherboard - ASUS PRIME B560M-A

Problem

I've recently switched from Windows 10 to Windows 11, and I've been experiencing performance issues.

I check the task manager,

IDLE - CPU=3% and RAM=25%

Playing RUST - CPU=60-100% RAM=90-100%

Unreal Engine - CPU=10-60% RAM=60-70%

However often my RAM and CPU will often spike, causing an extreme amount of freezing or crashing. This did not happen on Windows 10.

On the task manager, it showed a large amount of RAM percentage being used, but a significant fraction I could count up from applications on the task manager.

For example, the task manager said "70%" but I could only count 5-8GB, which leaves about 6.2-3.2GB unaccounted for.

After checking Resource Monitor, I discovered that a major amount of RAM was being committed to the system to other applications (Applications and services that I cannot stop due to my system requiring them).

I think the issue may be a memory leak within Windows 11 itself.

What I Have Tried

Almost everything! It feels like.

Updating CPU, GPU, Motherboard, BIOS, and drivers to the latest driver

Uninstalling Armoury Crate (Suspected Possible Memory Leak)

Uninstalling Select Problematic Applications and Reinstalling Them

Tweaking Page File Size on drives

Turning XMP on and off

Overclocking and Underclocking the CPU & RAM

Tweaking FAN Speeds for Temperature issues

Activating and Deactivating Antivirus

Virus Scan

Downloading a different antivirus

Currently, RAM is slowly counting up is at 6.1GB/15.8GB, only have Opera GX open and writing this.

Answer 1

Hi ,

I am Ivan, I will help you with this.

Access the Task Manager in the Performance > Memory tab, take a screenshot and post it here.

If you can do a clean install, is that possible?

Independent Advisor - Community

Thanks

Answer 2

Hello Seth,

 

Here's a structured breakdown of what might be happening and what else you could try:

 

Possible Causes

• Windows 11 Memory Management: Many users have reported that Windows 11 tends to use more RAM than Windows 10, even when idle.
• Background Services: System processes like Desktop Window Manager (DWM) and telemetry services can consume memory disproportionately.
• Memory Leak: If RAM usage keeps climbing withoHello Seth,

 

Here's a structured breakdown of what might be happening and what else you could try:

 

Possible Causes

• Windows 11 Memory Management: Many users have reported that Windows 11 tends to use more RAM than Windows 10, even when idle.
• Background Services: System processes like Desktop Window Manager (DWM) and telemetry services can consume memory disproportionately.
• Memory Leak: If RAM usage keeps climbing without being released, it could be a leak from system components or third-party services3.

Additional Steps to Consider

Here are some advanced suggestions that might help:

• Run Windows Memory Diagnostic  Type mdsched.exe in the Start menu and run the tool to check for faulty RAM.
• Check for File Explorer Memory Leak   Open multiple File Explorer windows, then close them. If RAM usage doesn’t drop, you may be affected by a known leak.
• Clean Boot Test  Use msconfig to perform a clean boot. This disables all non-Microsoft services and startup items—great for isolating problematic background processes.
• Use Poolmon or VMMap  These are advanced tools from Microsoft to detect kernel-level memory leaks. TechPP’s guide walks you through using them.
• Adjust Virtual Memory Settings   Go to System > Advanced System Settings > Performance > Virtual Memory. Try manually setting the paging file to 1.5x your RAM size.
• Feedback Hub Report   If you suspect a system-level leak, report it via the Feedback Hub. Microsoft actively monitors these reports for emerging issues.

 

Best regards,     

Ian | Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist

Answer 3

Hi ,

Did you manage to solve the problem?

Independent Advisor - Community

Thanks